Plug-in vehicles not yet straining U.S. grid

Plug-in electric vehicles aren’t yet putting a strain on the national grid, but may require upgrades to infrastructure as demand increases, a U.S. report found. The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory looked at how plug-in electrical vehicles impact the grid, particularly as more owners charge their vehicles at home. “Previous research into the amount of energy required by homes hasn’t taken into account plug-in electric vehicles,” Matteo Muratori, a transportation and energy systems engineer at NREL and author of the agency’s report, said in a statement. “Given that more people are choosing to drive these types of vehicles and charging them at home, this additional demand should not be overlooked.” The […]